I Shall Not Die

Leading historian James Belich presents Titokowaru, a Taranaki chief in the 1860s, as one of the great figures of New Zealand history. A leader in peace and war, he ran a stunning military campaign against colonial forces as he sought to save his people and their lands from European invasion.

In a powerfully written, compelling book, Belich restores the image of a man who, after winning numerous victories and almost repelling colonial forces in 1868–69, was then ‘forgotten by Pākehā as a child forgets a nightmare’. A new introduction by Belich brings his 1989 work up to date.